1878-P VAM-70

Contents

1878-P VAM-70 Doubled RIB of PLURIBUS

Discovered by Leroy Van Allen, December 1965.
This coin is a Top 100 Morgan VAM, This coin is a Top 30 Variety70 I2 12 B1a (Doubled Letters) (180) I-2 R-4Obverse I2 12 - Doubled Motto with R, I, and B having large shifts at bottom and UM tripled on right side. All stars on right tripled at bottom. 878 in date doubled. First 8 doubled at top inside of both loops and at bottom outside of lower loop. 7 doubled below upper crossbar and at bottom left and upper right of vertical shaft. Second 8 doubled at top inside and bottom outside of lower loop and tripled at lower left outside of upper loop. Nostril slightly overpolished.Reverse B1a - Earlier type B reverse; 7 TF parallel arrow feather, with long center arrow shaft. Die overpolished with last three leaves disconnected from olive branch and part of eagle's lower right wing missing.

Comments:
1. 1878 VAM-70 "Doubled R-I-B" The VAM 70 has a strongly doubled obverse with RIB of PLURIBUS. This coin has a long nock B1a reverse and the reverse leaves of the olive branch are disconnected. Other B1 reverse Morgan's have disconnected leaves but it is useful to narrow the possibilities. Of all the B1a reverses, behind VAM-85 and VAM-86 and 80A this is the next rarest.

Threads:

LVA Plate Photos:

Additional Photos:

R, I, and B have large shifts at bottom.
7 doubled below upper crossbar and at bottom left and upper right of vertical shaft.
Second 8 doubled at top inside and bottom outside of lower loop and tripled at lower left outside of upper loop.
2nd 8 shows quadrupling on upper left loop
There is a break on the reverse on LDS examples that shows "slight beveling," per Leroy. But because there is "no obvious step break,"
this die state is not separately listed:
Reverse beveling
Die chips around the nose and mouth.